Better body plan for men

Change the way you train

If you want a better body, one of the simplest things you can do is to make small changes to the way you train. Instead of doing long, slow sessions do short, intense workouts where you work hard. After sessions like this you must ensure you give your body time to rest because it is during these periods of rest that your body and muscles progress.

Also, as part of your better body plan, make sure you are not in a training rut and mix up the types of exercises you do in your sessions. Work out different muscle groups using a wide range of exercises and equipment to ensure your body keeps working hard and keeps burning unwanted fat. Combining these two small tweaks to your training will revolutionize your workouts and help deliver you a better body.

Build muscles quickly

One way to build up your muscle mass quickly and bulk up is to use the pre-exhaust technique when lifting weights. This technique aims to tire a muscle and then use the same fatigued muscle again, but work it using a different exercise.

A good example of the pre-exhaust technique being employed in a workout can be seen if we look at exercising the chest. Begin by doing three sets of dumbbell bench flyes and rest as appropriate. Then complete three sets of dumbbell bench presses, again taking your appropriate rests. This is a great exercise because the dumbbell flye tires the chest and the dumbbell press uses your tricep muscles whilst also working your chest. This combination will ensure you can build muscles quickly and bulk up key areas such as your chest, arms and your trapezius muscles.

Sort out your posture

Whatever you do today, start working on your posture. Most of us have appalling posture and chances are you’re stooping or hunched over right now. The key to getting great posture is to work on strengthening and stabilizing your core. You should aim to do exercises that work your core twice a week.

Attending yoga or Pilates classes should help you to work out all of the key areas you need to work in order to strengthen your core, such as your rectus abdominis, your transverse abdominals, your erector spinae or your obliques. If you don’t fancy attending classes you could do some exercises at home, such as single leg extensions, a seated stability ball roll and the plank.

As well as doing these exercises make yourself aware of your posture when you are out and adjust it until you naturally stand and sit correctly.

Healthy isn’t always enough

You may think you have a great diet, but sometimes eating healthily isn’t enough to get a great body. Instead you need to be eating foods that support your body and help you to build muscle and lose fat too. Swapping lunches like pasta or a jacket potato for tuna or chicken salads is one way to fuel your body, whilst ensuring you lose fat and gain muscle. Eating things like eggs, spicy peppers that contain capsaicin and spinach will also help you to keep full, whilst boosting your metabolism.

Changing the way we cook our foods can also help us to get a better body. Studies have found that grilled food contains a compound called methylgloxal, which has been linked to weight gain. Instead of grilling try steaming or poaching your foods, or make some tasty stews or casseroles.

Goals and fun

The only way you are going to ever get a better body is if you set some goals and have some fun. These two areas are the glue to your better body plan, yet most people unwittingly skip these stages.

Setting goals does not have to be a longwinded process; it could be as simple as taking a photo of yourself before you begin your better body plan so that when you have been working out and eating correctly for a month, two months or three months, then you can see the progress you have made. Other goals could be made from taking your body measurements, aiming to lift a certain weight or using the caliper test.

As well as setting some goals, you need to incorporate fun into your better body plan. If you don’t enjoy yourself you won’t feel motivated to train and you won’t put in 100 per cent effort. Find workouts, classes, DVDs and training methods that you look forward to doing and try out new sports too. The best thing to do is to experiment and keep things fresh.